Mathews board will ask state to restore local contribution

The Mathews County Board of Supervisors will consider a resolution asking the state to restore funding for aid to localities when it meets at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the historic courthouse.

County administrator Steve Whiteway said in an e-mail that every year for the past three years, the state has charged local governments money to help balance the state budget. Mathews County’s share this year is $49,130. The payment from all localities combined is $60 million.

The Virginia Association of Counties has asked all localities to adopt a resolution asking the state to do away with the charge now that there’s more money in state coffers, said Whiteway.

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Tuesday that the state had a $311 million revenue surplus for the 2011 fiscal year. In a press release, McDonnell said that almost half of the money, $146.6 million, will be placed in Virginia’s Rainy Day Fund, while $32.2 million will go in the Water Quality Fund and $4.3 million will be spent for tornado relief.

In addition, $23 million will go to the Department of Transportation to pay its share of the Accelerated Sales Tax; $8.9 million will go to the federal government to pay interest that’s due on the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund; $7.5 million will help pay for Base Realignment and Closure obligations; and $7.5 million will go to sheriff’s departments across the state for public safety.